Patriots Training Camp Studs/Duds Day 6: Christian Barmore Dominates
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FOXBORO – The dog days of summer are really starting to kick in, as the New England Patriots completed another day of training camp on Tuesday. After putting pads on for the first time yesterday, more contact drills were in the works and had some players showing off during the day.
STUD: DT Christian Barmore
Once the pads came on, Barmore has burst onto the scene. The second straight day that he is on this list and once again, dominated the one-on-one drills against the offensive line. Barmore had wins going against Mike Onwenu and Kody Russey, as well as stuffing a number of runs in team drills.
DUD: TE Matt Sokol
Sokol is fighting for the third tight end spot on the team, along with Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. After head coach Bill Belichick praised Asiasi in his pre-practice press conference, Sokol went out and dropped two passes. Not a surefire way to try and win your way onto the roster. He will need to show up in the preseason games if he wants to crack the Week 1 team.
STUD: LB Jahlani Tavai
The linebackers in general were having their way throughout the day. Tavai in particular was throwing his weight around and using his shoulder a lot to force contact. The former Detroit Lion also recorded a run stuff during 11-on-11s on Ty Montgomery. In a linebacker room crowded with a number of players, today was certainly a big name for Tavai, who has also worked on special teams throughout camp.
DUD: C Kody Russey
The undrafted free agent has looked very strong this summer, working as the backup to David Andrews, who is on the PUP list. However, today was not one of his better days. Russey got torched in a rep against Barmore during the one-on-one drills and was not doing well during team drills, which saw the defensive front have their way with the offensive line unit.
STUD: WR Tyquan Thornton
The Patriots second-round selection in this past draft had one of his best days as a pro. Thornton made a number of impressive grabs during one-on-one drills, including a superb sideline catch which saw him adjust and track the ball in mid-air. The speedster has been able to rack up a number of 40+ yard catch and runs so far this week and has certainly made a name for himself.
DUD: Offense
Yes, the entire side of the ball gets a dud for the day. For the sixth straight practice, the defensive unit has had their way with the offense, being able to stuff the run, get after the quarterback and knock away a number of passes. Players have mentioned the terminology within the offense is more streamlined, but it is taking longer for those kinks to be worked out.
The Patriots will head back to the practice fields tomorrow, starting at 9:30 a.m. with the public being able to attend once again.
